The COVID-19 pandemic has marked the year 2020 and keeps the world at bated breath. This ongoing crisis is not gender neutral and has different impacts on women and men. Below are new publications on this topic.

The UN Women publication “From insights to action: Gender equality in the wake of COVID-19” summarizes the data, research and policy work produced by UN Women on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on women and girls, including how it affects extreme poverty, employment, health, unpaid care and violence against women and girls. The report further shows that the pandemic has widened gender and economic inequalities and stresses, and without gender-responsive polices, the COVID-19 crisis threatens hard-won gains. The publication also brings into focus the lack of gender-disaggregated data and appeals for larger investments in and prioritization of data on the gendered effects of the crisis.

The UN Women brief “COVID-19 and ending violence against women and girls: COVID-19 and violence” highlights emerging evidence on the COVID-19 global pandemic’s impact on violence against women and girls. The brief specifies that globally, 243 million women and girls have been subject to sexual or gender-based violence (SGBV) by an intimate partner in the past year. This existing SGBV crisis is likely to worsen in the COVID-19 context. The brief makes recommendations for all sectors of society to consider, from governments to international organizations to civil society organizations, to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls at the onset, during and after the public health crisis, with examples of actions already taken. It also considers the economic impact of the pandemic and its implications for violence against women and girls in the long term.

Another UN Women publication, “Spotlight on gender, COVID-19 and the SDGs: Will the pandemic derail hard-won progress on gender equality?”, presents the latest evidence on the gendered impact of the pandemic, highlights potential and emerging trends, and reflects on the long-term impact of the crisis on the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This publication provides a snapshot of key facts about the topics Sustainable Development Goals and COVID-19. The report also shows that the current crisis is pushing millions of people into extreme poverty. Furthermore, it clearly outlines that the crisis is not gender neutral. The report ultimately stresses that more gender-disaggregated data are needed to show the impact of the crisis more precisely. 

The OECD policy brief “Covid-19 – Women and girls on the frontline” focuses on how to ensure that a gender lens is well-integrated into COVID-19 response, recovery and prevention efforts in development cooperation. The report emphasizes that 70% of health professionals are women, and that women in general face higher risks of both income loss and violence or abuse in the current crisis. In addition, it draws attention to the adaption of existing policies and practices during this pandemic. Polices and action should balance emergency response on the one hand and long-term development on the other. A gender-sensitive approach is also necessary to prevent the exacerbation of existing gender inequalities.

New release in the area of access to finance

Equal access to finance for women and men is globally an issue. Please find a new publication about new entry point and good practices: 

In partnership with the Swiss Agency for Development & Cooperation (SDC), Roots of Impact undertook a feasibility study to explore the opportunity for using SIINC and other Impact-Linked Finance tools to catalyze gender-inclusive FinTechs, focused on furthering women’s economic empowerment and gender equality. In this study the Gender Inclusive FinTech Fund (GIFF) was introduced as a compelling solution for enabling inclusive FinTech companies to be more gender transformative and motivate inclusive ones to become gender focused. It reformats a traditional structured fund with a clearer outcomes orientation from the onset (using a blended structure, from what I understand). For more details you can have a look at the executive summary here.

New releases on gender and data

As already shown above, gender-disaggregated data are necessary to develop gender-sensitive polices, a gender-equal crisis response and sustainable development. Women Deliver has released new developments in the working paper “Advocating for a stronger evidence base for gender equality: An analysis of gender data and knowledge gaps”. This publication is based on desk research and identifies more than 150 gender data and knowledge gaps across nine thematic areas. The desktop research shows some data gaps in the following topics: youth, male and community engagement; the impact of women’s leadership and movements; the emerging role of technology and innovation; private sector and donor responsibilities; the effect of migration and forced displacement; legal frameworks; and the need for cost-benefit analysis. Additionally, the working paper stresses that an intersectional perspective is needed for a sufficient police response, meaning that data should also be collected from other categories, such as age, social status and ethnicity. In conclusion, the following can be said: an expansion of gender- disaggregated data is needed to advance gender equality efforts. 

The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in a spike in violence against women. In response, activities created by the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which will run from 25 November to 10 December, will take place under the 2020 global theme: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect. All over the world different activities are planned, including the following:

16 DAYS 16 FILMS – Online

Inspired by the UN Women campaign 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the Kering Foundation has launched the short film festival, 16 DAYS 16 FILMS. The festival is an initiative that highlights filmed content addressing violence against women. Each year the jury selects 16 films by female filmmakers from hundreds of submissions that explore, emote or educate on a form of violence against women. The short films will be shown on the Kering Foundation and Modern Films websites.

Motherhood and violence – Switzerland

This year, the 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women event in Switzerland will focus on motherhood and violence. Various events in different locations are planned, including flash mobs, exhibitions, city tours and discussion meetings.

SDC’s different actions for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence

25.11.2020: To open the 16 days, Patricia Danzi launches a video tool to support sensitization and training of SDC staff about how can we make ourselves fit for PSEAH? Prevention and Protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment (PSEAH) is one important measure to contribute to the reduction of violence against women and to act against abuse of power and gender inequality in international cooperation. SDC firmly promotes zero tolerance of inaction against SEAH and has set clear signs by introducing guidelines and instruments for addressing and responding to SEAH. On the occasion of the International Campaign against Violence against Women, SDC director Patricia Danzi will launch the Kick Off for the next level of implementation of PSEAH sensitization and capacity building in Swiss representations abroad with the support of a new interactive video tool “Fit for PSEAH?”. The tool consists of situations of sexual misconduct in daily work situations in the field and supports staff to reflect on appropriate ways of response by the affected persons, bystanders and management.

25.11-10.12.2020: SDC will also host a social media campaign (and an in-house poster campaign) during the 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, starting the November 25th with the International Day Against Violence Against Women until December 10th with the International Human Rights Day.

During 16 days, SDC will show different types of Gender-Based Violence to raise awareness about this issue and its multiples faces, and how does Switzerland engage against GBV.

>>> Follow us and share the posts from 25.11 until 10.12 @SwissDevCoop on Twitter

10.12.2020: 10th of December, the last day of the 16 days campaign, and the international human rights day, the SDC Gender Unit and the Gender Focal point of the Humanitarian Aid Department will conduct a virtual workshop and peer learning event on experiences with applying a community-based psychosocial approach in SGBV work. The focus here is not on individual support to survivors of SGBV, but on psychosocial support and trauma healing for the community as a whole. Community members and groups support SGBV survivors and address the effects of the violence on relationships in the community, thus strengthening collective coping capacities, resilience and solidarity. Participants will gain insights from SDC experience in the Great Lakes region, learn from an expert view, listen to peers experiences from other regions and engage in joint discussion about proven practice and challenges, minimal requirements and joint ambitions to promote such approach in the SDC.

You are kindly invited to register for the workshop until 20. November 2020 to nadia.amri@eda.admin.ch.